Two very different half-brothers bury their abusive father in a peculiar ceremony. Raymond & Ray addresses the toll of reconciliation and moving forward with a comedic tinge. It takes a bit to get going but drops crazy reveals in the second act. Stars Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke make the best of an uneven script. The hurt they experienced as children haunts their adult lives. Depression, addiction, and failed relationships ripple from their troubled upbringing. The film struggles with tone but ends with a rewarding message. Confronting traumatic events isn’t easy but necessary to free yourself from suffering.
The buttoned-up, clean-cut Raymond (McGregor) drives to a remote house in the West Virginia woods. His buff, tattooed, and pierced brother Ray (Hawke) opens the door with a gun. They haven’t seen each other in three years. Their father, who they refer to by his surname, Harris (Tom Bower), has died. Ray’s happy the miserable bastard is gone. They both cut ties with Harris long ago. His last wish was to be buried by his sons. Ray scoffs at the idea. He’s dead, let him rot. Raymond disagrees. They need closure.
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The brothers drive to a funeral home in Richmond, Virginia. Raymond continues to be jealous that every woman flocks to Ray. Canfield (Todd Luiso), the funeral director, gives them their father’s burial instructions. He wanted to be buried naked in a wooden box. And to have his sons manually dig the grave.
Raymond & Ray go to sort their father’s belongings. They’re stunned to find the vibrant and gorgeous Lucia (Maribel Verdú). It’s her house. She also has a young son, Simon (Maxim Swinton), with Harris. The brothers scoff at their father’s notorious philandering. They get another surprise when more sons (Chris Silcox, Chris Grabher), fraternal twin acrobats, also show up at the cemetery. As the crew of half-brothers start digging, awful memories surface. Raymond & Ray clash as they confront their father’s muddled legacy.
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Balancing Laughter and Tears
Writer/director Rodrigo García (Nine Lives, Mother and Child) is too ambitious striking the balance between laughter and tears. Gags, like the naked burial request, are humorous but feel silly when the tension increases. Raymond & Ray have deep scars. Their father took pleasure in physical and psychological torment. Giving them the same name was an example of his cruel demeanor. They can’t come to terms with the man that Lucia knew. The idea that he was kind to Simon, and had other secret sons, exacerbates their distress. What did they do to earn their father’s scorn? Were they mistakes he learned from? These are difficult themes. The brothers are on an emotional rollercoaster.
Intriguing subplots buoy the film when the funeral narrative falters. Raymond connects with Lucia. He’s the exact opposite of his father but sparks the same carnal interest in her. Ray, a trumpet player mocked by Harris for liking “Negro music”, is attracted to his father’s spirited nurse, Kiera (Sophie Okonedo). Their contentious back and forth challenges Ray to find his purpose.
Raymond & Ray works because you root for the brothers. They rediscover their bond entombing a pathetic man. The film’s message is clear and important to understand. Don’t succumb to the despair of lingering torment. Abusers lose their grip when you let them let go.
Raymond & Ray is a production of Apple Studios, Mockingbird Pictures, and Esperanto Filmoj. It is currently in limited theatrical release with an Apple TV+ premiere on October 21st.
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